The 15 Highest Paid MLB Stars for 2025

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Thanks to an exciting postseason that featured teams from Los Angeles and New York in the World Series, baseball is thriving. And that success is reflected into the contracts given to the games biggest stars. It’s a good time to be playing professional baseball financially and these are the biggest current contracts in the game.

15. Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees – $32,000,000

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Beginning his career with the Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton has long been one of the best power hitters in the game. While he no longer plays the field much, he is still a big threat at the plate. Stanton finished the 2024 postseason with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in 14 games.

14. Tyler Glasnow – Los Angeles Dodgers – $32,500,000

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While he only made 22 starts for the Dodgers in 2024, a career high for the nine year veteran. Despite his regular injury problems, Glasnow is outstanding when he does pitch and that has resulted in a very high salary. He hopes to top those 22 starts during the 2025 season.

13. Jose Altuve – Houston Astros – $32,500,000

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The Houston Astros have been tremendously successful over the last decade, but they have often chosen to let their best players leave via free agency. Jose Altuve, who first came up in 2011 signed a long-term deal that will keep him in Houston through the 2029 season.

12. Corey Seager – Texas Rangers – $32,500,000

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Corey Seager isn’t the kind of player who hits the market too often and when he did, the Texas Rangers pounced with a 10-year $325 million deal. The contract has paid off handsomely as Seager has made the All-Star team the last three seasons and led the Rangers to a World Series title in 2023.

11. Francisco Lindor – New York Mets – $34,100,000

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An immediate superstar since breaking into the league, Lindor signed a 10-year $341 million deal with the Mets shortly after being traded to the team. 2024 was his best season yet as he had multiple dramatic hits to lead the Mets to the NLCS and finished second in the NL MVP voting.

10. Gerrit Cole – New York Yankees – $36,000,000

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A fantastic pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros, Cole signed a multi-year contract with the Yankees in 2020. The deal has worked out handsomely for both sides as Cole has been a standout on the mound, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2023.

9. Blake Snell – Los Angeles Dodgers – $36,400,000

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Blake Snell is an incredibly accomplished pitcher, having won the Cy Young in 2018 and 2023. A long-term contract though had long eluded him. That changed during the 2024 offseason as the Los Angeles Dodgers signed the lefty starter to a five-year $182 million deal.

8. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – $37,116,666

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Mike Trout isn’t just a good baseball player, he’s a transcendently good player. While injuries have been a recurring issue, he performs like a Hall of Famer when he is on the field. When he first signed his deal in 2019, he was the highest paid player of all-time but that has since changed.

7. Carlos Correa – Minnesota Twins – $37,333,333

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A long-time star with the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa had a tumultuous free agency period that saw him fail to finalize deals with the Mets and Giants only to sign with the Twins. Minnesota has been more than happy with the contract as the shortstop made the All-Star team in 2024.

6. Anthony Rendon – Los Angels Angels – $38,571,4278

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Rendon spent the early parts of his career with the Washington Nationals as a feared hitter who played high-end defense. That play landed him a major payday for the Angels that has become the worst in baseball history. Rendon has only appeared in 257 of 810 games during his time with the Angels and they will be paying him for two more years.

5. Jacob DeGrom – Texas Rangers – $40,000,000

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DeGrom, a college shortstop, became one of the most dominant starting pitchers in history. The Rangers ignored his age and injury history to sign him to a massive $185 million deal. He hasn’t delivered much of a return on the investment so far, making 9 starts over the last two seasons.

4. Aaron Judge – New York Yankees – $40,000,000

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A six-foot-seven, 282 pound behemoth, Aaron Judge shouldn’t be athletic enough to play center field and steal bases but he does. A six-time All-Star and two-time MVP, Judge is the best overall player in the game and quite possibly a bargain at $40 million a year.

3. Zach Wheeler – Philadelphia Phillies – $42,000,000

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Zach Wheeler broke in with the Mets and often showed promise but was also injured quite a bit. He signed with the Phillies in 2020 and became one of the premier starters in the league. The pitcher singed a massive extension in 2024 that will keep him in Philly for three more years.

2. Juan Soto – New York Mets – $51.875,000

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Even as a 19 year-old rookie in 2018, Juan Soto was already one of the best players in the major leagues. The former National, Padre and Yankee has teams salivating for his free agency and deep pocketed Steve Cohen won the bidding with a massive 15 year contract.

Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Dodgers – $70,000,000

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There have been very few players like Shohei Ohtani as he is often compared to Babe Ruth. The pitcher/outfielder/designated hitter brought an unprecedented package to the free agent market and the Dodgers gave him an unprecedented contract, the largest in major league history.

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